BAHRAIN: ARAB ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 001167

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2015
TAGS: EAID EFIN PREL KPAL BA
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: ARAB ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY

REF: A. STATE 146261


B. MANAMA 855

Classified by Charge d'Affaires Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) The Charge August 10 delivered Ref A points
concerning Bahraini assistance to the Palestinian Authority
(PA) to Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Shaikh
Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa in a meeting covering several
subjects (septels). Shaikh Mohammed said that King Hamad had
extended Bahrain's full support for the PA during President
Mahmoud Abbas' June 14 visit to Bahrain (Ref B). Abbas needs
to establish his authority as president in order to make
progress on relations with Israel, and Bahrain wants to do
what it can to assist in this process, the ForMin said.
Bahrain intends to make a "symbolic" pledge of financial
support for the PA budget at the next Arab League meeting on
this subject. "It's only a little," Shaikh Mohammed said,
"but we must do what we can within our means to contribute."


2. (C) The ForMin said that some Arabs were concerned about
making new investments in West Bank/Gaza infrastructure
because despite previous contributions, the Israelis had
destroyed so much over the past five years. Nonetheless,
Bahrain would make a small contribution and he called for a
"new momentum" in Israeli-Palestinian relations to break with
the past and focus on future development.

ZIADEH